Science marches on. Telomeres may be the answer to many age related problems.

I don't expect anything dramatic out of this study as many times before claims have been made however it could give some pieces to the puzzle.

The other question I have is if I could live to 1000 what would I do?I guess my post count would be quite high by then.

Enough of my bull, here's the article.

Until recently, no one thought it possible to reverse the consequences of aging in severely degenerated organisms.

That all changed on November 28, 2010, with publication of a landmark report in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

In this unprecedented study, Harvard-affiliated researchers lengthened telomeres in aging mice and achieved rapid reversal of genetically programmed organ and tissue degeneration caused by short telomeres.1 The aged mice showed new brain cell growth, restored sexual function and fertility, and regeneration in every tissue examined.

These senescent mice dramatically reversed genetically predisposed damage, in particular to the brain and central nervous system, after their telomeres were lengthened.

Life Extension is funding similar researchThe findings of this Nature study were not a complete surprise to Life Extension scientists, as we have been funding similar research in conjunction with BioTime, Inc.

Just last year, this joint research succeeded for the first time in reversing the aging of human cells in the laboratory setting…including restoring telomere length in some instances. The scientists we funded transported aged human cells back in time to their original embryonic state, enabling them to differentiate into any cell the body might need to self-regenerate. This age-reversal study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Regenerative Medicine.

The latest study published in Nature demonstrates that it is possible to take mammals in a severely degenerated condition and systemically reverse aging pathologies using only one mechanism, i.e., telomere lengthening.

Life Extension provides $2 million for new age-reversal studyBased on our analysis of the current state-of-the-art, we believe there are more effective methods to restore telomere length and reverse aging processes.

In order to prove our hypothesis, the Life Extension Foundation® provided $2 million in funding on December 31, 2010, to a company called ReCyte Therapeutics (a subsidiary of BioTime) for a new series of studies. The first will be on a group of mice, utilizing several cell rejuvenation mechanisms (including telomere lengthening) in a real world model of aging.

The initial goal of this research is to rejuvenate the vascular systems of these mice in a way that protects them against heart attack and stroke. The research will also be aimed at restoring youthful bone marrow function to reverse immune senescence, thus conferring protection against cancer, infectious disease, and autoimmune disorders.

If these age-reversing effects can be documented in this mouse model and other biological systems, our research funding will then be used to attempt to develop authentic rejuvenation therapies in humans.

Don’t Get Left Behind… Based on regenerative medicine technologies being developed right now, we may be only a short time away from making old people young again!

For those who don’t know, telomeres are small units of DNA at the end of our chromosomes. As long as they remain intact, telomeres keep chromosomes from fraying and the genes inside from unraveling. As our cells divide, telomeres progressively shorten until cells become dysfunctional or die. When this happens, we grow older, become afflicted with the diseases of aging, and, eventually die.

The good news is that certain nutrients that health-conscious individuals take today such as fish oil, vitamin D, carnosine, and multivitamins may help protect telomere length.2,3,4,5,6

Even more exciting is new research that Life Extension is funding to significantly lengthen telomeres with the objective of reversing aging processes in human beings!